


Lost to time and space

by UpInOrbit



Series: 50 word prompts [6]
Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Archaeology, F/F, Fluff, Light Angst, Lost City
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:20:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27649445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UpInOrbit/pseuds/UpInOrbit
Summary: “Hyejoo," said Yerim. "This statue… Looks exactly like you.”Hyejoo and Yerim were only looking for a long-lost city. They were not expecting what they found under the mountain.
Relationships: Choi Yerim | Choerry/Son Hyejoo | Olivia Hye
Series: 50 word prompts [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1920427
Comments: 4
Kudos: 62





	Lost to time and space

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nonamebut](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonamebut/gifts).



> Happy birthday, Raina!!! I hope you have an amazing day, because that's what you deserve. I love you so much, I'm really grateful I'm your friend, I hope you know that <33333  
> This fic is my gift to you, and I hope you'll enjoy it. It was supposed to be short and sweet but, in true me fashion, this is neither short, nor probably sweet, but I still hope it'll be something you'll enjoy. Big thanks to Marta for going over it and cheering me one, ily <3  
> Happy birthday Raina <333333
> 
> (also this one is for the Shelter prompt in the 50 words challenge jsjsjs)

“Hyejoo, hurry!” Yerim screamed over the sound of the pouring rain. “Leave that, it doesn’t matter!” She waved almost frantically, trying to get Hyejoo’s attention.

Above them, the bright blue sky was gone, replaced by thunderous clouds that had turned the day into the middle of the night. Lighting struck, thunder roaring just over their heads, and both Yerim and Hyejoo froze, before Hyejoo started a desperate run up the slope of the mountain, leaving behind the notebooks and equipment that had fallen from her torn backpack.

The rain poured over them mercilessly, so cold it made Yerim’s teeth chatter, and was turning her fingertips blue. Hyejoo wasn’t faring much better, her wet hair sticking to her face and neck, soaked clothes dragging her down as she tried to climb up the mountain and reach Yerim’s side.

Lightning struck again, so close that Yerim shuddered, and Hyejoo let out a surprised yelp. The thunder that followed almost immediately was deafening and Hyejoo ducked low as she kept running, as if that would keep her safe.

Suddenly, a hand appeared in front of Hyejoo, pale, ghostly fingers wrapping around her wrist, and Hyejoo almost screamed, feeling her heart beating loudly against her rib cage, scared.

“It’s just me!” Yerim shouted over the pouring rain. “Come, there’s a cave nearby!”

Even if she had wanted to complain, Hyejoo wouldn’t have, not with the storm getting even worse, black clouds over their heads threatening with even more rain, bringing more thunder and lightning in their bellies. Instead, Hyejoo followed Yerim as she pulled on her wrist, tugging impatiently when she slowed down, keeping her steady when her wobbly legs threatened to give out under her.

Finally, the rain stopped falling on Hyejoo, and the wind stop running its cold fingers through her hair and clothes.

“We can wait in this cave until the rain stops and we can look for the rest,” Yerim whispered them, her arms wrapped around her middle. In the darkness, she looked more like a ghost than a living person, dark hair stuck to her pale face, made even paler by the lightning outside. “They can’t be that far away, and anyway, we can still find the camp, so they’ll go back once the rain stops.”

“Do you think this cave is safe?” Hyejoo nodded, then asked.

Calling it ‘cave’ was being quite generous, as it wasn’t much more than a crack in the mountain, with barely enough space for the two of them to stand there, one in front of the other. However, it was relatively dry, and it provided them with shelter from the rain, so Hyejoo wasn’t going to be picky.

“Safer than outside, at least,” Yerim replied, and Hyejoo had to agree.

No one had expected the storm that had been unleashed upon them. When they’d woken up, the sky was blue, not a hint of clouds in the sky. However, as the day went by, and they got closer to the mountain, that had changed. Some kind of restlessness had settled over Hyejoo, thick as a blanket, growing more oppressive as the day progressed. It had made her nervous, and, slowly, the sky had begun to be covered by clouds, ones that had apparently brought hell in their midst.

They had gotten separated from the rest of the expedition when the rain had begun, and Hyejoo hoped they were all safe, had managed to find some place where they could spend the evening until the storm died out.

It didn’t look like that was going to happen anytime soon, though. Still, until it did, they couldn’t do much, so there was nothing to do but wait.

“The phones don’t work,” Yerim said then, frustrated. The dim light coming from her phone’s screen did little to dispel the darkness around her, and instead added an eery feeling, not diminished at all when the phone entered the low battery mode. Muttering under her breath, Yerim put it away, trying to keep it somewhat dry.

Hyejoo sighed, and leant back against the rocky surface of the cave, her eyes closed.

“The storm must be messing with the signal. It probably doesn’t help we’re in a cave either, you know?” Yerim pursed her lips and punched Hyejoo in the arm, causing the other to groan and rub her arm in mock agony. “What was _that_ for!? I was merely stating the truth,” she replied, a small smile playing at her lips.

Yerim didn’t seem amused by her reply, and Hyejoo feared she’d punch her again, but then a gust of wind brushed against their faced, and they both stood very still.

“Did you feel that?” Yerim whispered. Her lips barely moved, and her eyes were wide open. 

It was like looking at herself in the mirror, because Hyejoo knew she must look as shellshocked as Yerim did. Silently, she nodded. 

“That was wind, coming from the end of the cave,” Yerim’s hushed tone grew in volume, a slow smile stretching across her face. “Hyejoo, do you realize what that means!?”

“There must be another entrance to this cave,” Hyejoo replied slowly. She could feel the excitement growing in her veins, and she tried to stifle it before it grew uncontrollable, but it was hard to do, when Yerim’s face was as enthusiastic as Hyejoo herself felt.

“This might be the lead we’ve been looking for the past month!” Yerim’s excited cry echoed inside of the cave, returning to them amplified and distorted. 

Instinctively, Hyejoo leaned forward to hush her, while Yerim’s hand flew to cover her mouth.

“Be careful!” Hyejoo hissed when the echoes died down. It wasn’t until then that she realized she had been holding her breath. Yerim nodded, eyes still wide open, and slowly lowered her hand. “Don’t get too excited either, Yerim,” she continued. “This cave might just have another entrance on another side of the mountain, it might not lead us anywhere,” Hyejoo reminded her, but Yerim’s smile only grew, becoming brighter.

“Don’t worry, Hyejoo! I have a feeling we’re going to find what we were searching for!”

Before she could do anything to stop her, Yerim had taken off her backpack, dangling it from one of her hands, the other already somehow in possession of a torch, and carefully moved deeper into the cave.

Hyejoo’s fingers closed around empty air when she leaned forward, trying to keep her girlfriend with her, and she cursed under her breath, frustrated.

“Yerim. Yerim!” She hissed. “Be careful! It’s dangerous! Yerim!”

“Come on, Hyejoo, nothing bad is going to happen,” Yerim’s words were cheery, albeit a bit breathless, as if dragging herself through the small space had taken a toll on her. “Don’t you wan’t to see if we find what we were looking for?” Yerim’s voice sounded more distant then, muffled almost, but the teasing was unmistakable. 

Biting on her bottom lip, Hyejoo breathed out through her nose, slowly, trying to fight against the part of her that had wanted to go down the cave from the moment they’d stepped into it.

It was a pointless fight, and Hyejoo closed her eyes briefly, hoping they wouldn’t regret it.

“What do you see?” She asked.

“That’s my girl,” Yerim replied, the smile audible on her voice. “There’s nothing much here yet, but the cave is larger here than it was back there, at least it’s a bit easier to move.”

“Okay then. Wait for me, I’m going towards you.”

Yerim replied her assent, but Hyejoo was not paying her much attention, focused on how she was going to get through the cave. She considered the possibility of leaving her backpack there, torn as it was, but after a brief consideration, she thought it might still be useful to carry it with her so, much like Yerim herself had done, she held it in her left hand as she slowly crept deeper into the cave.

The entrance hadn’t been particularly broad, but it didn’t take long for Hyejoo to realize it had been much better than the far end of the cave. Soon, the walls had closed in around her, so much she could barely move, and feared she’d get stuck. Thankfully, it didn’t take long until it broadened again, just like Yerim had said, and she found herself able to move more freely.

“Careful with the head,” Yerim said then, warm hands coming to rest on top of Hyejoo’s head, to shield her from a protruding rock that was right in front of her forehead and she hadn’t noticed.

“Thank you,” Hyejoo smiled at Yerim as she helped her hop off the ledge in which the narrow tunnel finished.

Dusting her trousers, she looked up and found they were standing in the middle of a cavern, considerably bigger than the space they had left behind. Yerim’s torch cast shadows with strange shapes around them, falling on the rocky surfaces and bathing them with light. As Yerim moved it around, inspecting the area, it became obvious it was much higher than it was wide, the torch’s light not able to reach the ceiling.

Behind them, the sound of rain was barely audible, and Yerim sighed.

“Well, I hope there’s some other exit, because I really don’t want to go through there again.”

“That won’t be a problem,” Hyejoo automatically replied, earning herself a puzzled look from Yerim. “You said it yourself, there was air coming from here, so there has to be an opening somewhere. We will find another exit.”

“You seem awfully sure for someone who didn’t want to get in here, but okay,” Yerim smiled, amused, before spinning around, turning the torch as she did so. “Ready to start exploring?”

“Let’s go,” was Hyejoo’s answer, causing Yerim to smile brightly at her, squeezing her hand when Hyejoo came to stand beside her.

Without another word, they both started walking deeper into the mountain, Yerim’s torch dispelling the darkness around them just enough to let them know where to put their feet.

Walking inside the mountain wasn’t like Hyejoo expected it to be. For starters, it wasn’t as cold inside the mountain as it had been outside, their clothes drying faster than they’d thought. Every now and then, a gust of wind would brush past their faces, softly lifting stray locks of hair, but the cold seemed to remain outside, kept at bay by the mountain. And, it might have been from the air currents that existed there, providing them with enough air to keep them from suffocating, but it was much easier to breathe than they’d feared, especially considering they were basically underground.

Still, there was something about the mountain that compelled her to keep quiet, some kind of presence that was impossible to ignore. Yerim, too, seemed to feel it, for she didn’t say a word as she walked side by side with Hyejoo. 

For a while, it was just them, walking in the semidarkness, only their footsteps echoing softly around them as they advanced.

It was hard to keep track of time in the dark, but Hyejoo would have said they had spent at least half an hour walking without getting anywhere. She could sense Yerim growing impatient beside her, and was about to suggest they should maybe turn around and get out, when the ground beneath their feet seemed to take a slight downturn.

“Yerim, do you think…?”

“It’s going somewhere, yeah. You noticed too, didn’t you?” Yerim’s excited voice echoed in the corridor, louder than expected, loud enough to surprise them, making them jump out of their skin. “Wow, this mountain has great acoustics.”

Frowning, Hyejoo swatted at her.

“Focus,” she replied. “And don’t speak so loud, the echoes here creep me out.”

“Why? It’s not the first mountain we walk into but you’re normally much more excited than this,” despite her question, Yerim kept her volume down, for which Hyejoo was grateful.

“I don’t know,” she replied with a shrug, even if she was pretty sure Yerim couldn’t see her. “There’s something about this place that makes me nervous.”

Yerim merely hummed in reply, but Hyejoo could tell she was worried by her words.

“Do you want me to carry the torch for you now?” She offered, in an effort to distract her. 

Yerim saw right through her, but only sighed, and shook her head.

“Sure. Here, take it,” she replied, stopping briefly to pass her the torch.

The beam of light shook as the torch changed hands, Hyejoo’s blindly looking for it. She was about to start walking again when Yerim sucked in a breath, surprised, and warm fingers curled around her forearm, keeping her in place.

“What? What is it?” She asked, surprised.

“Shhh,” Yerim replied. It was only because they were so close that Hyejoo was able to make out Yerim leaning forward, as if she were trying to see something more clearly. “I think I… Don’t you see anything down there?”

“See what where? There’s nothing to see here,” Hyejoo said, even as she turned her head to look right in front of her, peering into the darkness. For a couple of seconds, none of them spoke. “I don’t see anything, Yerim.”

“Turn off the torch,” Yerim instructed.

“What? Why?” She asked, reluctant to turn off their only source of light.

Yerim, however, didn’t seem to be in the mood to explain anything, as she extended her hands, and switched off the torch herself, leaving them to stand in absolute darkness.

Except that, maybe, ‘absolute darkness’ wasn’t the correct way to put it.

Suddenly, Hyejoo realized what it was that had caught Yerim’s attention, even if she couldn’t guess how her girlfriend had noticed: right in front of them, at what appeared to be the end of the tunnel, there seemed to be a very tenuous light, the darkness seemingly not as impenetrable as it was around them both. 

It might have been a trick of their minds, something their brains had conjured to keep them going forward, but somehow Hyejoo doubted it. There _was_ something in front of them, somewhere through which light filtered into the mountain, pushing through the darkness around them.

She had a feeling she knew what they were going to find there.

The torch was turned back on, the sudden light blinding them both momentarily, and Yerim’s fingers looked for Hyejoo’s, squeezing her hand tight.

“Are you ready?” Yerim asked. She sounded breathless, the excitement almost palpable in her voice. 

Hyejoo didn’t need to see her to know what the expression on her face would look like, how her eyes would sparkle in the face of the new and unknown that they were about to encounter. It had always been like that, ever since their first expedition, the excitement never wearing off, no matter how many times they went through it.

“Let’s go,” she replied. If her voice sounded shaky, Yerim didn’t comment on it, and neither did Hyejoo.

Together, they walked through the tunnels, their steps just a bit faster than before, as if there was an urgency propelling them forward, some invisible hand ushering them towards the end.

However, the closer they got to the end of the tunnel, the darker the shadows became. There were no signs of any kind of crack in the mountain through which the light could filter in, and their torch’s beam seemed to be weaker than before, as if the darkness around them was smothering it.

_They don’t want us to find it_ , something whispered in Hyejoo’s mind, a voice that sounded very much like hers, but that she didn’t know where it had come from.

“There’s nothing here,” Yerim was saying then, discouraged. Her frustration was obvious in her voice, as was her confusion. “I would have sworn there had to be some kind of gap, or something, around here, but there’s nothing. I don’t understand.”

Untangling their fingers, Yerim swung the torch around, the light falling onto every nook and cranny, but still, she found nothing. They were surrounded by rock, rock above their heads and under the feet, stretching for as far as they could see, and well beyond that.

Drops of cold sweat rolled down Hyejoo’s neck, pooling at the small of her back. Her fingers tingled, slowly losing all feeling.

Beside her, Yerim continued to talk, but her words were drowned by the buzzing in Hyejoo’s veins.

“It’s here,” Hyejoo said, cutting whatever Yerim was saying.

“Hyejoo?” Yerim asked, coming closer to Hyejoo. “What is it?”

“It’s here,” she repeated. “The entrance. It’s here.”

“Here?” Yerim turned around to stare at the rock, mimicking Hyejoo’s stance. “Are you sure? I think we might have missed it.”

Hyejoo shook her head before Yerim had even finished talking, her words stirring something deep within her.

“No. It’s here,” she replied, softly wrapping her fingers around Yerim’s wrist, making her point at a specific section of the rock. “Look.”

Hyejoo felt Yerim glance at her out of the corner of her eye, before slowly taking a tentative step forward. She held the torch with her right hand, her left arm extended in front of her, fingers stretched out to meet the rock.

Without saying a word, Hyejoo watched as Yerim dragged her fingers across the rock, running her palm up and down around it. She knew the moment Yerim found it, the entrance cleverly disguised between the rocks.

Her heart leaped in her throat when Yerim turned around to stare at her, eyes opened wide, glinting as they reflected the torch’s light.

“It’s here!” She whispered. “How did you know?”

Hyejoo shook her head.

“Let’s go,” she muttered instead.

It was all Yerim really needed to go on, her hair almost hitting Hyejoo across the face when she turned around.

Hyejoo wasn’t as enthusiastic as her, her feet rooted firmly to the ground. There was a mix of excitement and fear rushing through her veins, so intense it was almost overwhelming, and something in her screamed at them to go back. But it took one look at Yerim, already ahead of her, for Hyejoo to know she couldn’t leave her there, couldn’t do anything but follow Yerim wherever her steps would lead them.

Breathing in deeply, Hyejoo forced herself to move. Her legs felt like they were made of lead, so heavy she could barely make them obey her commands, but, after what felt like an eternity, she managed to break whatever spell kept her tied to the ground, and managed to jog up to where Yerim was standing, waiting for her.

“Everything alright back there?” Yerim asked when Hyejoo came to a step beside her.

“Yeah, don’t worry. Let’s—,” whatever Hyejoo was about to say got lost as she looked around, not expecting what she was about to see.

They were still under the mountain, that much was obvious: the air still tasted stale and there was rock all around them, but, if it weren’t for that, Hyejoo would almost believe it was a city like any other. A city lost to time and space, forgotten by everyone, but a city nonetheless.

Tall buildings loomed in front of them, marking the start of a city that stretched further into the heart of the mountain. They were standing on the skirts of it, barely able to see more than a handful of buildings, but they were still enough to take Hyejoo’s breath away, for they seemed to have been carved from the inside of the mountain itself.

Time seemed to have stopped in that place, and the buildings sat, untouched by both human and nature, patiently waiting for the day they’d be discovered once again.

There was something almost magical to them, and she could see it in Yerim’s eyes.

There was something almost haunted to them, and she could feel it in her heart.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Yerim whispered, voice softly echoing in the chamber

A chill run down Hyejoo's spine, her throat going dry. She suddenly missed being outside. Even the pouring rain seemed more appealing than the silent city that loomed in front of them.

"Let's go, shall we?" She replied instead and, together, they took the first step that would take them deeper into the city.

It had been silent, when they'd walked through the mountain, down the corridors and into its heart. It was even more silent as they walked through the city, as if the silence itself was holding its breath, expectant. Not even their footsteps seemed to echo in the large cavern, whatever little they said lost to the shadows that surrounded them.

"It's beautiful," Yerim's words were reverent, as she craned her neck to take in as much as she could. 

"It is," Hyejoo nodded, and she wasn't lying.

The buildings were tall, and the main streets wide, with ample space for them to move. Behind those, the buildings rose closer together, the streets narrow, the cobblestones smooth from use. Every now and then, breaking the monotony, small squares would pop up unexpectedly. Round in shape, they all tended to have a fountain in its middle, coronated by a statue, all of them human, but each of them striking a different pose.

Despite the time, the city didn't look abandoned, but rather like someone had pressed 'pause', and it was just a click away from returning to its usual self.

However, there was still something to it that made Hyejoo feel on edge, a sensation that grew the closer they got to the city centre.

"There's so many statues here, I've lost count. I don't think we've ever encountered a city with as many as this one has, right? Don't you think it's weird?"

Hyejoo merely hummed in response, not finding herself able to reply in any other way. It wasn't her intention to ignore her girlfriend, but there was something at the back of her mind, something that wouldn't stop bugging her, like there was some crucial detail she'd forgotten and couldn't remember, no matter how hard she tried. It was unnerving, to say the least, and she had to constantly fight the impulse to turn around and look back.

A part of her whispered she'd find someone staring straight at her, and she didn't want to test the theory.

She didn't think she did a very good job at disguising her nervousness, but Yerim didn't seem to notice, enthralled as she was by the city.

"I wonder what happened here," Yerim continued, her words ringing in the silence around them, before being swallowed by the buildings. "It looks like they simply left the city, but why? Judging by its size, it seems like quite a number of people used to live here. Did they die? How did they even build this place? It's inside of a mountain, that couldn't have been discreet, how come there's no mention of them anywhere?"

In front of them, the buildings were more spaced out than before, and Hyejoo knew instinctively that they were approaching the city centre, its heart. 

Around them, statues littered the street, a new one every few meters, silent guardians that didn't leave them out of their sight. Some of them had their arms by their sides, palms facing outwards. Others bore swords, their tips turned towards the sky, while a few knelt, faces turned to the side. 

Somehow, all of them were staring at both of them.

“They did this themselves,” Hyejoo managed to whisper, her throat closed. Her words seemed to ripple and echo in the chamber, coming back to haunt them in murmurs that rose in volume, phantom voices that belonged to people long gone suddenly filling in the silence.

“What do you mean?” Yerim asked, her tone apprehensive.

“They didn’t just die,” Hyejoo replied. “Something happened to them and they left this city behind. They hid all the entrances, sealed it underneath a mountain and made sure no one would find it. They erased their name and presence from all records, all so that no one would ever set foot in this city again.”

Erased from all records, except for one half-burnt manuscript that Eunha had found, used to lead them there.

“But now we are here,” Yerim managed to say, cautious, her face pale in the darkness.

“But now we are here,” Hyejoo nodded. “And I don’t think we’ll like what we’re about to find.”

"What are you talking about?" Yerim asked, sounding worried. "Hyejoo!" She cried out, but Hyejoo had already left her behind, her feet moving on their own accord.

Before she realized, she was running, her hair flapping behind her, and she could barely hear Yerim's cries or the sound of her feet smacking the ground, over the roaring of her heart, as it beat a wild staccato in her chest.

She didn't stop until she left the buildings behind her, until she rushed in the city's square, and found herself standing at the feet of a statue, its arms by its sides, palms facing forward, head tilted towards the ground, standing taller than all the previous ones, taller even than the city itself.

She didn’t even react not even when Yerim reached her side, heaving and out of breath. She stayed where she was, where the light that somehow filtered from the top of the mountain bathed her in pale silver, took her to times long gone.

There was something about the city, something about that statue, that made Hyejoo’s blood run both cold and too hot, and a part of her longed to find out as much as she dreaded it.

“What is this place?” Yerim whispered, the barest hint of fear creeping into her voice. 

If it was because of her, or because of the city itself, that Hyejoo didn’t know.

“The heart of the city,” she replied. “Where they all came to worship their god. It stands in the exact centre of the city, because without them, none of this, of them, would have ever existed.”

Where the words had come from, she didn’t know either, but she knew they were true.

“Hyejoo, should we leave? I don’t like what this place is doing to you,” Yerim whispered, but Hyejoo shook her head.

“We’re here already. Might as well take a look,” she replied, tilting her head towards the statue.

Hesitant, Yerim didn’t seem to want to do it, but she eventually lifted her torch, the beam of light running up the statue’s body until it feel on its face. It was delicately sculpted, it’s features so real it seemed like it was looking straight at them, just a breath away from extending her hands towards them. 

The rain must have been filtering through somewhere, as water run down the statue’s face, almost as if the statue itself was crying, teardrops running down her cheeks until they splattered against the ground.

Hyejoo found herself unable to breathe.

“Hyejoo,” Yerim whispered, moving closer to her. Hyejoo didn’t say a word, already expecting what was about to fall from Yerim’s lips. “This statue… Looks exactly like you.”

Gulping, Hyejoo merely nodded, the slightest dip of her chin, her breathing turning shaky. Blindly, her hand searched for Yerim’s, their fingers lacing together until their knuckles went white. Somehow, without their knowing, they had come to stand one next to the other, their arms pressed together. Hyejoo felt Yerim shake slightly beside her, or maybe that was Hyejoo herself.

Something about that statue had made the hairs at the back of her neck stand up, stirring something deep in her.

The hand with which Yerim held the torch shook, and the light fell on something that was behind the statue.

Hyejoo closed her eyes, but she knew there was no unseeing what she’d just witnessed.

“Yerim…,” she whispered, but Yerim had seen, too.

Pivoting on the soles of her feet, Yerim traced an arc with her arm, the torch bathing everything in its light. It fell on one, two, three, ten statues carved from rock, before Hyejoo lost count.

It was her, always her. Kneeling, standing, jumping. 

Protector, knight, executor, all of them bearing her face.

“It feels like we’re in a graveyard, and it’s all devoted to you,” Yerim whispered, her voice trembling as much as her hand did.

Despite her low volume, her voice seemed to ripple and echo, a murmur multiplied by the statues around them. Hyejoo stepped closer to Yerim, protectively standing in front of her. The murmurs seemed to die down, subdued.

“I know,” Hyejoo replied. “I think we should probably go back,” she turned to look at Yerim, a silent plea in her eyes.

“Yes, I think you’re right. We should meet back with the others,” she added, her tone suggesting she needed to see someone else, be reminded that the outside world still existed, as much as Hyejoo needed it too.

Above them, the statue stood, blind and silent and mute, but Hyejoo knew they were there, knew _she_ was there. She just hoped she’d let them go.

Unwilling to turn her back to the statue, Hyejoo took a step back, eyes still fixed on it. Yerim followed her movements, seemingly confused but willing to comply, and took a step back too, but her feet slipped, and she almost fell.

Turning around as fast as she could, Hyejoo wrapped her arms around Yerim’s middle, preventing her from hitting the ground. The torch slipped from Yerim’s fingers, clattering to the ground.

The torch’s light fell to the statue’s feet, and then lower, making something glint in the semidarkness.

“Hyejoo, did you see that?” Yerim asked, narrowing her eyes as she knelt to pick up the torch, before taking a step closer.

Hyejoo’s arm shot forward, fingers curving around Yerim’s arm, keeping her in place. Surprised, Yerim looked back, lips slightly parted, a silent question in her eyes.

“Don’t get too close,” Hyejoo managed to say, through the words that seemed to get stuck in her throat, unwilling to leave her mouth. 

Yerim smiled, leaning forward to press a brief kiss to Hyejoo’s knuckles. She laced their fingers together as she did so, tenderly squeezing Hyejoo’s hand.

“It’ll be fine, Hyejoo, don’t worry,” she reassured her. Hyejoo pretended she didn’t see the way Yerim’s smile didn’t reach her eyes, the way the corners of her lips trembled slightly, fingers freezing cold.

Leaning forward, Yerim came closer to inspect whatever had glinted earlier, and Hyejoo let her, even if a tiny part of her whispered to drag Yerim away.

That voice, however, was being drowned by something louder, bigger, that commanded all eyes to it and demanded attention.

“It’s a plaque, I think,” Yerim said then, squinting her eyes. “It’s covered in dust but… I think I can read it.”

“What does it say?” Hyejoo asked. 

Her fingers tingled, and a voice that sounded very much like her whispered in her ear, and Hyejoo knew those words were the ones on the plaque.

“Olivia Hye, goddess of destruction,” Yerim read aloud, her voice echoing in the cavern. It sent chills down Hyejoo’s spine. “She who looks over us, she who should not be angered,” she continued. The cavern seemed more oppressive, all of a sudden.

Hyejoo felt, more than saw, Yerim leaning even closer, to read the last sentence written on the plaque, but before she could do so, Hyejoo yanked her back, causing Yerim to stumble and yelp.

“Don’t read that,” she pleaded. “Don’t read what’s left.”

Yerim paled.

“But Hyejoo, I already read it,” she whispered.

_Welcome back, my dear_ , the voice (her voice, older and darker and more powerful, but _her_ voice) whispered in her ear.

Above them, the statue was looking directly at her, eyes of stone following her every move, lips curved into a small smile.

Then, everything went black.

***

Hyejoo woke up with a jolt, her heart beating a rampant rhythm in her chest, the whispers of a goddess long gone echoing in her head.

For a moment, all she could hear was her heart, threatening to break free from her ribcage, and the memories of a forgotten life pouring over her. Then, slowly, like every breath was a conscious effort, her heartbeat slowed down, and the sound of cars and civilization outside her window managed to reach her ears, and she was reminded of where she was, _who_ she was.

The moonlight came in through the window, bathing everything in its glow, but where it had once been a ghastly shadow, it was turning into a soothing silver, one that served to ground Hyejoo, as she broke free from the remnants of her dream. 

Taking in a deep breath, Hyejoo managed to relax her fingers, curled into claws that dug into the blanket they had wrapped around themselves. The soft murmur of the TV, that they had failed to turn off before falling asleep on the couch, gave her something to focus on as she tried to get rid of the lingering fear.

It helped to look beside her, where Yerim’s purple hair was spread on the couch’s backrest, her chest moving up and down peacefully in her sleep. The image was enough to unravel the knot in Hyejoo’s throat, allowing her to breath once again.

Tenderly, she freed one of her hands, used to push a stray lock of hair away from Yerim’s face. The movement, as careful as it was, disturbed Yerim’s sleep, and she scrunched her nose as her hair brushed against it.

Hyejoo let out a small laugh, careful not to wake her up, and allowed herself to run her eyes over Yerim’s face, committing it to memory.

She was still feeling uneasy, an itch deep beneath her skin that wouldn’t leave, and she squirmed, considering leaving the couch if even to stretch her legs, but before she could do so, Yerim stirred, shaking her head.

“Stay,” Yerim mumbled, still deep in slumber. Her words were slurred, her eyes closed, and she didn’t seem to notice when her arm inched closer to Hyejoo, blindly searching for her.

Still, it made Hyejoo’s heart swell in her chest, warmth spreading through her veins, dispelling the last remnants of the dream, kept at bay by Yerim’s sheer brilliance.

“Of course I will,” she whispered, burying herself under the blankets once again, moving closer to Yerim until their breaths mingled, fingers laced together.

Hyejoo closed her eyes, feeling content.

She might have been a goddess, once, revered for her powers, destructive in all her forms, but whoever that person had been, she was no longer. Instead, she was Hyejoo, and no one, no echoes of the past, would take her place.

**Author's Note:**

> And that is all from me. I hope you guys enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoyed it too Raina ily <33  
> Let me know what you thought of it!  
> Comments and kudos warm my heart <3  
> [tw](https://twitter.com/starryjinsouls) || [cc](https://curiouscat.me/Val_99)
> 
> \- Val


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